Not that any guy would admit to it, but erectile dysfunction is far more common than you think. It’s happening to your friends, it’s happening to your neighbours – and as much as you refuse to believe it, it could happen to you.

The older you get, the greater your risk

In fact, 1 in 20 Australian men of all ages report to have some level of erectile dysfunction. These numbers boot to 40 per cent at age 40, 50 per cent at age 50, 60 per cent at age 60 and 70 per cent at age 70.

The older you get, the greater your risk

However just because it affects older man more than young doesn’t mean young men – some even as young as 18 – aren’t suffering from E.D. For younger sufferers, their symptoms are most likely related to mental problems rather than physical ones, however the damage is just as bad.

E.D. sufferers often turn to Viagra and other forms of erectile dysfunction medications to fix their woes – but as you can expect, there’s quite a negative stigma associated with taking Viagra, especially as a young man.

You’re flooded with thoughts such as, “you aren’t a real man”, “you’re 20 and your dick isn’t working” and “how are you going to find a wife with a faulty penis like yours?”

But we have some good news: if you’re one of the million E.D. sufferers in Australia, your days of popping Viagra could be over.

Mental viagra

Mental viagra

A study out of London’s Imperial College has dubbed a hormone injection as ‘mental viagra’ after producing quite amazing results. Kisspeptin, first found in the mid-1990s, is the hormone that sets off puberty and also in chocolate, may be the secret to reigniting the flames in your bedroom.

As well as encouraging romance, Kisseptin is also believed to help fuel the production of testosterone, the hormone that gives you erections. The study focussed on 29 healthy men who were injected with Kisseptin, with their brain scans showing increased activity in the parts of the brain that deals with your sexual urges and romance after seeing pictures of naked and non-naked couples.

Men who were given the placebo drug didn’t register the same effect, even after they were showed softcore porn. Professor Waljit Dhillo of Imperial College London called the study ‘exciting.’

“Our initial findings are novel and exciting as they indicate that kisseptin plays a role in stimulating some of the emotions and responses that lead to sex and reproduction,” Dhillo told the Daily Mail.

“Ultimately, we are keen to look into whether kisseptin could be an effective treatment for psychosexual disorders and potentially help countless couples who are struggling to conceive,” he added.

While more research is needed, these are positive signs and a step in the right direction for those who are starting to dread sexy time.

We asked couples how porn might have taught them the wrong lessons, and surprisingly most of them agreed that it not only gave them unrealistic expectations, but also ruined their first sex experience. Here’s what they had to say…